The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-12-06
TABERNACLE SERMON.
DR.. Talmage's Discourse Sunday
Morning.
"sALUTATIoN FROM THE CHARIOT

BRooKLv, December 4.-ISpccial. This Is
sacramental day in Brooklyn tabernacle. Inc
moro than 4. 0O9 commitment members and
many strangers from all parts of the world make
tia memorable scene. New members were re-
ceived. and some OF them were baptized this
morning.
The congregation, led by organ and cornet
sang:
"ncar dying lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never loso its power,
Til all the tansomed church Of God
BE saved to sin no more"
The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage preached.
His subject was "Salutation from the Char
lot" and his text III. Kings, chapt. 10, V. 10:
"Is thine heart right?"
With mettlod horses at full speed, for he
was.celebrated for fast driving, Jehu, the
warrior end king, returns from battle. But
seeing Jehonadab an acquaintance, by the
wavsidc, he shouts, "Whoal Whoa!P to the
lathered span. Then leaning over TO Jehona-
dab Johu salutes him in tho words OF the
text-words not more appropriate for thathoT
and that place than for this hour and place
Is thine heart right? / should like to hear
of your physical health. Well, myself. ] like
20 have everybody else well; and so might ask
is your eye-sght right, your hearing right
your nerves right, your lungs right, your en-
tire body right? But am busy today taking
diagnosis Of the more important spiritual con-
ditons.
/ should like to hear Of your financial wei
fare. | want everybody TO have plenty Of
money. ample apparel, large storchouse and
comfortable residence and L might ask, Is
your business right, your income right, your
worldly surroundings right? Bnt what are
these financial questions compared with the
inquiry rs to whether You have been able to
pay your debts TO God as TO whether yon are
Insured for eternity: rs to whether YOU are
running yourself by the long-crcdit system Of
the soul? ! have known men to have more
than orc loaf Of bread at time, and yet TO
own government bond OF heaven worth more
than the whole material universe.
The quest ion | ask YOU today Is not i'm re-
gard to your habits. / make no inquiry about
your integrity, or your chastity, or your So
briefly. do not mean to stand on the outside
OF the gate and ring the bell; but coming up
the steps / open the door aud como 10 the pri-
vate apartment Of tho souls and with the
earnestncss of a man that must give am account
for this day S work, ! cry out. Oh, man, oh,
woman immortal, Is thine heart right?
/ will not insult you by an argument TO
prove that We are by nature all wrong. II
there be q factory explosion, and the smoke
stack be upset, and the wheels be broken in
two, and the engine uniomtcd and the pom
deTous bars he twisted, and man should look
in and say that nothing was the matter, you
would pronounce him fool. Wei, 1t needs
no acumcn 20 discover that our nature is all
htwist and aslew and unjointed The thing
doesn't work right. The biggest trouble we
have in the world Is with our souls.
Men sometimes say that though their lives
may not be Just right, their heart is all right.
Impossible a farmer never puts the poorest
apples on top OF his barrel; nor does the mer-
chant place the meanest goods in his show
window. The best part of us Is our outward
lifo. do not stop to discuss whether we all
fell in Adam, for we have been our own Adj
am, and have all eaten of the forbidden fruit.
and have been turned out of the paradise of
holiness and peace; and though the flaming
sword that stood at the gate TO keep us out has
changed position and comes behind TO drive us
in we Will not 20.
The Bible account Of us is not Exaggerated
when IL says that we are poor and wretched,
and miserable, and blind, and naked. Poor
the wretch that stands shiYering ON our door
step ON cold day is not so much in need of
bread us we are of spiritual help. Blind why,
the man whose eyes persisted in the powder
blast, and who FOR these ten years has gone
feeling his way from street to street, is not in
such utter darkness as we. Naked; why,
there IS not one rag of holiness left TO hide the
shame of our sin. Sick why the leprosy has
eaten into the head, and the heart and the
hands, and The feet; and the marasmus of an
everlasting wasting away has already seized
on some OF us.
But the moancst thing for man to do is to
n way to have IL remCdicd. | speak Of the
thirst Of your hot tongue only that / may
show you the living stream that drops crystal
line and sparkling from the Rock of Ages,
and pours river of gladneSs at your feet. If
j show YOU the rents in your coat il is only
because the door of Gods wardrobe now
swings open, and here is a robe, white with the
fleece of the Lamb of God, and of a cut and
make that an angel would not be ashamed to
wear; II snatch from you the black, mouldy
bread that You are munching, IL is only to give
You the bread made out of the finest wheat
that grows ON the celestial hills, and baked in
the fires of the cross, and one crumb of which
would be enough TO make all heaven n BAN
quet. Hear II, one and all, and tell il to your
friends when you go home, that tho Lord Je-
sus Christ can make the heart right.
First we need arepenting heart. If for the last
ten, twenty or forty years OF life we have been
going ON IN the wrong way, il is time that we
turned around and started in the opposite di-
rectlon. IL we offend our friends we are glad
70 apologize. God is our best friend and yet
how many of us have never apologized for the
wrongs We have done Him.
There is nothing we SO much need TO get
rid OF MS sin. II Is horrible black monster.
1t polluted Eden. Ii killed Christ Ii has
blasted the world Men keep dogs in Kennels.
rabbits ia warren, and cattle in u pen. What
man that would be that would shut them
up in his parlor But this foul dog of sin, and
these herds OF transgreSsion, we have enter
NdltiNN iNt ANtlAN % ipHG year IN our nt0rt,
which should ho the cleanest, brightest room
IN all our nature. Out with tho vile herdl
Begoue. ye bpfoulorS of an immortal naturel
Turn o0t the beasts, and let Christ come mt
\ heather came 20 an carly Christian V ho had
the reputation Of curing diseases. The Chris
tian said, You must have all your idols do
stloyod. The hcathon gave TO the Christian
the key 90 his house, that he might so in and
destroy the idols lie battered 10 pieces all he
saw. hut still The man did not get well. The
Christian said TO him, There must be some
idol IN Your house not yet destroyed" Tho
heathon confessed that there was ono idol OF
beaten gold that he could not bear 10 give an
After awhile, when that was DESTROYED in an
swcr TO the prayer OF the Christian the sick
man got well.
Many man has awakened in his dying hour
TO find his sins all about him, They Chamber
ed up en- the right side OF the bed, and on The
left side, and over the headhoard, and over the
footboard, and horribly dcyoured the soul.
Repent the voice celestial cries
Nor longer darc delay:
The wretch that Scorns the mandate dies
And meets nory day
Again, We need q believing heart. 4 good
many years ago weary ono went up one Of
the hills OF Asia Minor, and with two logs on
His back cried ont TO all The world, offering TO
carry their sins and SorrnWS They nursuea N Ia,